Individual perching, a potential reproductive strategy of Melipona stingless bee males

There is a wide gap in the knowledge of the reproductive behaviour of males of the Meliponini or stingless bees, the richest group of species within the corbiculate bees. To date two general reproductive strategies have been reported in the males of stingless bees, both involving the formation of large congregations of individuals. Here, we describe a newly observed potential reproductive behaviour of stingless bee males, that contrast with the large clustering reported in all species studied so far: individual perching. Across ten months we documented the frequency of Melipona beecheii males perching nearby colonies. We performed bioassays to verify sexual activity and the capacity of perching males for detecting and mating with gynes. We also assessed body size differences, comparing perching males and males produced in colonies. Males perching were present across the study. In controlled bioassays, they detected gynes and attempted mounting, which has not been observed at congregations. These evidences indicate that this behaviour is not occasional and may represent a mating strategy. Noteworthy, the thorax width of perching males was not different to colony males, suggesting that unlike other bees, this behavior may not be driven by body size differences. We discuss possible explanations and implications of this newly reported behaviour.